Scandal rocks Aviation Ministry, as Minister terminates over 80 janitorial service providers
…Brings in cronies, refuses to constitute board for over three years
…FAAN keeps mum
By Our Correspondents
The Ministry of Aviation has reportedly terminated the contract of over 80 cleaning and janitorial service providing companies across major international Airports in the country, a development which concerned citizens dubbed as capable of rendering millions of masses jobless.
As contained in an opened letter addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari, a copy of which was sighted by our correspondents, it was gathered that the Aviation industry had been riddled with chains of scandalous acts, nepotism and alleged breach of contract.
This is in accordance to the open letter addressed to President Muhaamadu Buhari signed by Arekameh & Arekameh’s Chambers dated 19/02/22.
The letter alleged the Minister of Aviation as being involved in violation of Public Procuremnt Act, underhand dealings, and attempt to usurp the office/ powers of the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FANN), Captain Rabiu Hamisu Yadudu.
Hence, the Chamber demanded that the President moved swiftly to rescue the Aviation industry which is at brink of total eclipse.
The letter read thus, “Our client as a well-meaning and concerned Nigerian who has interest in ensuring transparency and accountability of the operations of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
“We wish to draw your excellence attention to the alleged underhand dealings of Senator Hadi Sirika, the Minister for Aviation of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, following his strenuous efforts to violate the Public Procurement Act, 2007, and in an attempt to usurp the office/ powers of the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FANN), Captain Rabiu Hamisu Yadudu.
“We have it on good authority that Senator. Hadi Sirika, is hell bent on violating the Public Procurement Act 2007, by allegedly without any advert placement for bidding of contract, resolved to unilaterally award Cleaning and Janitorial services to the following companies, Scot Williams, Atlanta Cleaner Nigeria limited and other 60 companies.
“We have it on record that these 60 cleaning and Janitorial Service who had been taken around the newly built Abuja international Airport, presupposes a clear violation of Public Procurement ACT.”
The stakeholder said companies had no prior industrial airport cleaning experience obtainable in advanced countries of the world such as United States of America which is driven by top-notch service provider and state of the heart technology.
The open letter further acknowledged that the above mentioned Cleaning and Janitorial Agencies, are alleged proxies of Senator Hadi Sirika and connected to one Honourable Farouk Lawal and other concessionaires fronting his business interest.
Further details revealed that, one of Minister’s political ally, Hon. Farouk Adamu Aliyu, a businessman, and a former minority leader of the House of Representatives is a stake in Scot Williams, one of the companies mentioned above.
The Chamber thus appealed to the President to rescue the industry.
Recall that there have been concerns by stakeholders and industry players over the inability of the Federal Government to constitute boards of agencies under the Federal Ministry of Aviation. As it stands, the ministries have been without a board of directors for over six years.
Our source further affirmed that, when the proposed Airport concession seems to have fallen through considering its lopsided and unrealisable plans, the Minister then deviced ways of extorting the ministry.
In reaction to the development, a group of aggrieved and concerned stakeholders, who spoke to our correspondent over the weekend, noted that the Minister of Aviation, abruptly terminated the contract of over 80 cleaning and janitorial services providing companies, in a flagrant abuse of the Public Procurement Act 2007.
Similarly, the stakeholders alleged that the cynical act is not only political, self-serving, but raised some questions on the integrity and capabilities of the decisions capable of jeopardizing a sensitive industry such as the Aviation sector.
In the same vein, the report emphasised the significance of the Public Procurement Act 2007, the responsibilities and duties of the office of the Minister, but raised concerns over the outright disregard of Public Procurement Act and lack of due diligence, such as publicly placing public advert for the cleaning and janitorial services contract which was never observed in any of the national Dailies as stipulated by the law.
The Stakeholders opined that following due process could have created a level playing ground for bidding.
The concerned stakeholders further alleged that the Minister of Aviation, brought his political allies and cronies to take over the cleaning and janitorial services, thereby making the ministry his “fat cow.”
Furthermore, our source revealed that beside the allegation that these cleaning and janitorial services whose contract were terminated had a running contract with Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), it was also alleged that FAAN owes these service providers up to the tune of N160million.
Nigerian NewsDirect also gathered that the ministry headed by Sen. Hadi Sirika, utterly disregarded the Act establishing the ministry by deliberately not constituting the board of the ministry since assuming power in 2019.
The stakeholder further observed that none of these cleaning companies have undergone strict security profiling check, and raised alarm of consequences to the nation, in such a highly volatile and insecurity prone society.
Again, an independent check by Nigerian NewsDirect revealed that Scot Cleaning Agencies had once been awarded such cleaning and janitorial contract about two years ago, but the services provided was marred with unprofessionalism, with their staff alleged to have been constituting nuisance to the airport.
Furthermore, the records have it, that the Scot Cleaning services is in charge of newly built Abuja International Airport with record that left nothing to be desired.
Concerns were also raised about the unprofessionalism of the cleaning services companies as they were not a member of any of EHERCON, nor any regulatory bodies in Nigeria, which therefore questioned the quality of service they claim to be capable of executing.
The stakeholder therefore debunked Scot Williams Cleaning and Janitorial Agencies and its charade of Canadian ties, as misleading for the claim could not be substantiated upon deep-rooted inquiry by our correspondents.
Meanwhile, another independent source, who confided in Nigerian NewsDirect, allegedly linked the illegal termination of the cleaning and janitorial services and various nefarious activities to the political ambition of the Minister of Aviation who was said to be nursing a Gubernatorial Election in Kastina in 2023 elections, and has allegedly deviced means to financing such ambition through “kick backs” and illegal award of contract through his cronies and friends.
Reinforcing the above report, the stakeholder alleged that this act of impunity of the Minister of Aviation is one his numerous ways of extorting the Aviation industry.
The report alleged that before now, the Minister of Aviation through one Hon. Farouk Adamu was saddled with the responsibilities of collecting the sum of two hundred million naira monthly, on behalf of the Minister of Aviation, from each of the major Airport in the country through the power house.
However, as at the time of filing this report, all efforts by our correspondents to seek clarification on these allegations proved abortive as the Spokersperson for the Ministry of Aviation, Mr. James Odadu directed our correspondent to the Federal Airport Authority( FAAN).
Meanwhile, FAAN Corporate Affairs Manager, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu neither replied our messages nor returned our calls.
